Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-02-17
NOISES FROM THE SEA.
Dinerent Species of Finny vocalists That
Utter Croaking Sounds

a' anu are seemingly unexplainable,
proceed from certain small animals.
That many fishes utter sounds is well
known; as many as sixty different
species OF the fnny vocalists have been
heard from time to time.
A number of years ago, while on a
nshlng trip in the Gulf of Mexico. in
the City OF 1ucatan, / hauled in a
small fish, known to science as the
Hamulon, and to sailors as the grunt,
and never was fish better named, as
no sooner did l take it in hand than it
rolled most expressive pair of ewes
as far as fish could roll them. and
commenced IN appeal that quite aston
lshed me- First the grunts were low
and uttered singly; then they grew
louder and faster, and finally the fish
hurled at me perfect volley of sounds
that L accepted as an entreatv for
mercy, and hurriedly tossed him back.
Later caught many grunts, and they
were all very talkative out of water:
but whether these sounds could be ut
tered in their native element it would
be difficult to determine.
have heard the Hamulon grunt, the
grouper, as well as number of fishes,
croak, and the dogfsh bark (croak).
The little sea-horse, Hippocampus, ut
tiers a curious sound that is caused by
the vibrations of certain small volun-
tary muscles DIR. c. c. Abbott heard
the mud sunfish. Acantharchus pro-
mitis, utter deep, giunting sound,
and the gizzard shad makes an audi
bic, whirring noise. The club sucker,
Erimyzon oblongam, utters single
prolonged note, while the catfish,
Amiurus lynx, produces a gentle hum
ming sound. Abbott believes, how
ever, that the most musical of the
fishes is the eel. that utters a single
note frequently repeated, and has a
slightly metallic resonance. The fact
that the organ of hearing in these mu-
steal fishes is very well developed
would seem TO point to the belief that
the notes were calls; and as the air
bladder in fish represents TO some ex-
tent the lungs of other animals, there
is no reason for not thinking that the
fishes have vocal communication. The
musical notes and noises are produced
in several ways. Some are due to the
action of the pneumatic duet and swim
ming bladder, while others are acct
dental, or produced involuntarily by
the lips or the pharangeal or intermax-
Hilary bones. The notes made by the
carp and tench are due to the latter,
while those of the catfishes and eels are
made by forcing air from the swimming
bladder into the oesophagus.
That fishes utter sounds has been
known for many centuries, and some
years ago it was taken advantage of by
Snowman at a interchangeable in En-
gland to deceive the general public.
The owner of the talking fish had a
portable aquarium upon the beach and
in it several fishes, and when crowd
would gather about the tank he would
announce that the fish would answer
questions. He would then lift one of
the fishes out Of the water and allow
the spectators to listen TO its grunt. eX-
planning that it could talk only when
under water. The fish was then re-
turned and some one would ask a
question, upon which fish would dart
to the surface and n soft, low voice
would be heard answering the CUES
ton correctly. But the secret of this
very remarkable fish was finally found
out, the trick being carried out on the
same plan as the famous chess player.
A very small man was concealed in
the imitation of rock work of the tank,
who replied to the questions through a
tube that led to the surface, the open
ing being concealed in the rock-work
near the fishes. When question was
asked the exhibitor dropped some food
unobserved into the water, which made
the fish dart upward in very natural
manner. and the voice being heard at
the same time the Illusion was COM
plete, and many ignorant people were
deceived.
The drumfish Pogonius is one of the
loudest takers in the American waters
When the nets are hauled on the Jersey
coast and large numbers of drumtish
are caught, their protests are often very
loud. That these fishes utter sounds
under water there can be no doubt
The sailors on vessels anchored off
shore have heard the strange noise ris-
inc about them, and described it as
booming, while others thought it was
occasioned by drums being beaten on
shore. The fish utter the sounds, ae-
corCling to some authorities, by strik-
ing their pharyngeal teeth together,
while other writers think that they
beat their bodies against the. sides of
vessels to rub off certain parasites that
infest them
4 vessel lying in the China sea, some
wears ago. had most remarkable eXpe-
rience. The sounds that arose about
her greatly alarmed the crew, and
were described by the captain as re-
sembling escaping steam, the changing
of bells. the notes of an enormous
harp. with others difficult to describe.
The concert lasted some hours. and
was attributed to school of fishes that
was seen in the vicinity. The cuckoo
orunard has been known to utter
grunting sounds, and have heard our
common grunard grunt so loudly that
the rrunt could be heard twenty feet
away. The herring and cotters MAKE
similar sound, and the air bladder
theory would not be tenable in the lat
ter.-Bosto,s Herald a